Stormy waters sink Sutton Sailing Club after battle with council to stay afloat

The club has folded after 63 years of dinghy sailing on the lake as its landlord, Ashfield District Council, announces plans to build a new, more expansive water sports centre at the site, complete with an 80-seat restaurant.

At the end of three years of fighting to keep the club afloat, members now accept they are swimming against the tide. In short, Sutton Sailing Club is sunk.

Such was the mood of calm resignation during the club’s final days this week that its management committee could not even bring itself to comment.

"It is the end of an era and time to move on," said long-standing commodore, Pete Housley. “The feeling is that we are too emotional to comment without insulting anyone. There has been a lot of animosity.

"The members are dispersing to different places. A lot will be continuing their sailing at Ogston Reservoir (near Ashover in Derbyshire) because they live that way.

"But if members start up another club at the council’s new facility, it will not be Sutton Sailing Club.”

The club, a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, was flourishing to the end, with about 80 members. But it has been at loggerheads with the council since October 2019 when its lease, as tenants at King’s Mill, expired.

The council chose to put up the rent by an astronomical amount – as much as 4,000 per cent, according to the club.

The authority said the previous charge of £75 ground rent per annum, plus £25 per boat registered, “no longer reflected the current market value”. Instead it asked for a flat fee of £3,000 per year which was “considerably lower than that charged to other sailing clubs”, as part of a 15-year lease.

However, the club claimed this lease had an annual break clause, meaning there was no security of tenure. What’s more, it was being asked to give up some land at the site, restricting the amount of boats it could register.

The result was a deadlocked wrangle that could not be resolved, so the club decided to make 2022 its farewell season, with a typically packed programme of competitions, taster sessions and courses.

The council insists it did not serve notice to quit on the club and is happy to hold talks about the future.

A council spokesperson said: “The old lease came to an end, and we granted the sailing club an interim lease, which ends on Friday, September 30.

"Now that the council is redeveloping the site, we are in conversation with a part of the sailing club. The commodore came to the council last week to discuss the future of the club and how it can be accommodated in the new building.

"Sutton Sailing Club has been invited to work with the council to continue and grow its activities within the new facilities.”

However, on its Facebook page, the club adopts a different tone and makes no secret of where the blame should lie. Posts constantly refer to “Ashfield District Council forcing closure of the club”.

On its final day of races last Sunday, a post read: “It was a sad scene with members hauling their boats out of the reservoir for the last time after an afternoon of keen, but friendly, competition.

"Some of those taking part have been members for 40-plus years. The council seems to think the site is better utilised as a location for a restaurant.”

After the club’s final junior sailing session, a post read: "Our members include lots of kids, having fun on the water. Some of them are lucky enough to have found alternative venues to pursue their love of sailing. Others not so, I’m afraid.”

And after the conclusion of the club’s last sailing course, another Facebook post read :“Throughout its 63-year history, the club has introduced countless residents to the magnificent sport of dinghy sailing.

"Some have gone on to win national championships. Many have gone on to sail all over the world. But it has now all come to an end due to Ashfield District Council.”

Thousands of sailing and canoeing enthusiasts have been connected to the club since it was formed in 1959. Its clubhouse and facilities have also provided a home for Mansfield Sea Cadets and King’s Mill Model Boat Club.

Earlier this year, secretary John Butler said: “The closure of the club is a sad loss for sailing enthusiasts, and also for the local community. It now means people will have to travel much further afield to pursue their interest.

"Unfortunately, the council did not want us to renew our lease. They want the site to generate more revenue. We had a lengthy legal battle to save the club but didn't win.

"We’ve been accused of being an elitist sport. But we’ve always been an open and welcoming club.

"We now face the disheartening of clearing out the facilities and removing the boats in readiness for handing the whole site back to our landlords.”

The club’s demise was marked by a ‘big bash’ social event at the clubhouse, attended by many previous members and special guests.

Many of those ex-members have expressed their sympathy and anger on Facebook, while one of the guests was Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, who described the closure as “disgraceful”.

He said: “For 63 years, this brilliant club has provided training and support to local people in their pursuit of learning to sail.

"It’s run by volunteers who do it for the love of the community.

"Unfortunately, due to decisions made by the Ashfield Independents who run our council, the sailing club feels it can no longer continue.

"Obviously, the members are gutted that more than 60 years of dedication have been thrown away. I hope that, one day, they will be back.”